Listen to this PodcastMore 60-Second Mind
We care about our children and the world they’ll inherit. And we care about their children. But when it comes to the generations we won’t be around to know, the ties tend to be less strong—at least when it comes to dealing with how our current behavior might impact future generations.
But researchers have found that reminders of our own mortality may motivate us to make inter-generational trade-offs that benefit future communities.
Volunteers were asked to read an article about a fatal airline accident. Then they had to play the role of the head of a company that discovered a new source of cheap, efficient energy. They had to decide how much of that energy should be used by the company today versus saving it for use by others in the future. Turns out, those who were primed to think of mortality were much more likely to save the resource for future use by others. The study is in the journal Psychological Science.
The researchers say that by making a difference for future generations we gain a sense of purpose that combats the feeling of finality when we face our inevitable mortality.
—Christie Nicholson
[The above text is a transcript of this podcast.]
See what we're tweeting about
19 Comments
Add CommentSomeone please get a bunch of these reminders of mortality in front of Rex Tillerson at Exxon.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe man does believe in man made warming, he just feels we can engineer our way out.
I think there is a lack of compassion/empathy on his part for those that would follow.
http://bit.ly/ExxonClimate
Do we care about future generations? Well it's quite obvious republicans don't. The conservative mindset is focused on all about the self, with future generations status left up to their version of god. It gives republicans peace of mind to leave things in the hands of god, allowing them to ignore others well being.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI am honestly trying to figure that statement out. After voting for the president to lower the debt on generations to come, end wars, and make poverty on our youth go down I found that didnt work. Instead we are seeing youth poverty at the 22% level, the highest ever measured since the war on poverty started. there are even more dying in Afghanistan than died in the previous administration while more innocents are killed in the attacks. Finally, the debt passed on to our children and their children ensure they will never get the benefits we now enjoy- they simply cannot afford it paying the interest rates projected by the CBO. So yeah Republicans evil, we get that...but I am not seeing much concern for our youth by this administration by what they have done so far- just imagine what they can accomplish in 4 more years!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisDo speculators feel that the money they leave their descendants will help them live decent lives in a damaged environment?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisCan Americans ever get rid of the myopia.... having their heads up their butts and reducing everything to the trivia of domestic politics?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAdmittedly, mortality is inevitable. But our common sense is " death is far away", then resource is misused as usual.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisConservative and GOP are vastly misunderstood. Being one I feel grossly misrepresented by this comment. I for one believe in sustainability and leaving things better than I found them. Conservatives are very altruistic but also know the path of least resistance is the easiest path to self destruction. We must all challenge ourselves to be better people and help others who can't help themselves. Class/race/gender/social warfare and compartmentalizing our fellow humans in a degrading manner runs counter to that belief.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAre we concerned about next generations in the future?I don't think so.Maybe we think about our life,our kid's future and so so...but surely lots of us are not worried about mans and womans in the future that we don't know what kind of people they will be.The most obviouse evidnce that I know is that all people want a comfortabe life and I know that human prefer the easiest way is using the NEXT GENERATIONS PART on the earth.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThat what's I'm concerned about.
These days most of the people don't care about others.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThey just think about their present life and are not concerned about their children or the next generations.
Most of us are irresponsible and selfish and also short signed so we just want to use everything more and more to have a good life without paying attention to what we are doing with our children's future .
I have a hunch that nowdays people don't pay attention to the future.Specially undevelope countries, like african countries.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI suspect that could we continue our life for 200 years later?Since we just focous on the peresent time.As a matter of fact we also save the energy for the future people.Nonetheless, do you think it's enough?
On the whole, we do something for the future but the people's ideas is we should have a comfortable life in peresent time.Cause we can't see the future.But, it's false since the next people are your childeren.
There are a lot of works we did and keeping on even now.On the other hand we must concern more than now.In spite Of using more energy help us alot now,it's better than making a hard life for the future.
As a result if you want to help your future children and even the earth which want to have a life please save and keep more energy,fule,resourc,etc.
Fainally I opine that the dream of our future children help us to continue our life.Thus we must pay attentin to them.
Hi
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisaccording to this passage we have to know that this days people have a lot of works that amused themselves, they don't know that how much get far from their children!! you know that this people are nervy and selfish, just saw them selves, other people don't important for them and etc... ,we must remember our gesture can affect on our children and next generations, so try to change our behavior for better life.....
I think this idea isn't common in the world and nobody thinks about the life of next generation even they know their children is one of the future community. However, lots of countries try to change this habit but they don't achieve any result. The reason is the first step of that is our opinion and when we don't want to imagine the relation of our life and future no one can make future better for living.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisin my opinion the human in these days just think about his life and his benefits not even his children and their future life,we have to save limited energy,which is included by petroleum or natural gas,for other people and encourage the world to use safe energy that is available in many where like solar energy in sunny cities or wind energy in mountain towns however it is sometimes expensive.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisMost of the time I think of people, who are younger than me and think what a difficult life they going to have. I don't know what the world is going to like but I believe that next generations must fight with lots of problems that will began from today and I opine that first of all saving sources of the world and looking for other ways to replace sources of today at the same time are the most important things that we must to do to save the world for next generations.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAccording to this alarming news, I am in a fact that we do not consider future generation. Unfortunately one of the aspects of this inconsideration is abusing the sufficient amount of natural resources. Nowadays, the need of drinking water, fossil resources (in order to producing electricity, petrochemical productions, etc)even sufficient place to live is becoming more and more due to overpopulation.Even though we have this predicament , we can keep them for future generation.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisJust imagine what a battle will be done between different nations due to the lack of drinking water, fossil resources, etc. So we are expected to be concerned about.
As far as it concerned, a good thing to do is control population growth.
According to this alarming news, I am in a fact that we do not consider future generation. Unfortunately one of the aspects of this inconsideration is abusing the sufficient amount of natural resources. Nowadays, the need of drinking water, fossil resources (in order to producing electricity, petrochemical productions, etc)even sufficient place to live is becoming more and more due to overpopulation.Even though we have this predicament , we can keep them for future generation.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisJust imagine what a battle will be done between different nations due to the lack of drinking water, fossil resources, etc. So we are expected to be concerned about.
As far as it concerned, a good thing to do is control population growth.
Most of people think if they just spend money for their children later they will have been more successful. it's not all, because the first thing that they need is due to us.You know,if we care about them , they will know the future better.So they can have a successful future finaly we don't ignore this important event that is happening.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIn the name of God
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThanks Christie Nicholson for this news.
As far as taking care about future generations is concerned: Yes these days every one just take care about him or her self or as i here these days there is no good Behavior between wife and husband .
They are looking and care about just their pets like dogs i don't know maybe rabbit and...
Maybe just parents make children just to enjoy Marital relationships and noting more.
I'm not really agree whit the writer,you know we should take care about next generation but not to starting no eating not to use any gas and oil and etc. to make it safe for next people .No we should use a lot but not Profligacy.
If we really wants to help next people we should reduce prizes and etc..
Any way we are more important than next people, we are now and they will be in the future .
Thanks
From aoteiwolog (M.H.M)
I know for fact that the generation that we live today should have been more careful about the next genertion becuase of the water resource and other resources,they are going to be empty.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thiswe can have solar energy insted of eletricity and other source of energy,we can also use nuclear energy.
finaly in my opinion, as the past generation save energy for us ,now we must save energy for next.